Abstract
Evaluation of trait robustness based on environmental fluctuation in ontogenetic life stages are needed to evaluate stability and trait response during critical developmental events. Hardness, alkalinity, acidity, light intensity, and thermal differences were studied for trait canalization variation in morphometric, meristic, ontogenetic processes, and pigment characteristics. Trait canalization was observed with no statistical differences (p > 0.05) in mixed random two-way ANOVA comparisons between various block and treatment effects for hardness, alkalinity or acidity. Thermal block variation differences in six measures, including mandible length, yolk sac length, midpostanal depth, and head width, incubation, and hatching length, varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with declining temperatures. Water quality and thermal attributes exhibited trait canalization and did not increase character state variation in the early life stage morphological expression, which result in stable phenotypic inheritance rather than variable environmental conditions during embryonic and larval development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Public Health Association (APHA) (1999a) Method 2340b. EDTA titrimetric method. In: Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Association, American Waters Works Association, Water Environment Federation, Washington, pp 180–185
American Public Health Association (APHA) (1999b) Method 2320b. Titration alkalinity method. In: Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, American Public Health Association, American Waters Works Association, Water Environment Federation, Washington, pp 161–166
Danil’chenko OP (1977) The sensitivity ofthe fish embryo to the action of toxic substances. J Ichthyol 17:455–463
Eshel I, Matessi C (1998) Canalization, genetic assimilation, and preadaptation. A quantitative genetic model. Genetics 149:2119–2133
DJ Faber (1980) Observations on the early life of the golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill), in Lac Heney, Quebec. In: Fuiman LA (ed) Proceedings of the fourth annual larval fish conference, FWS/OBS-80/43, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, pp 69–78
Fuiman LA (1982) Correspondence of myomeres and vertebrae and their natural variability during the first year of life in yellow perch. In: Bryan CF, Conner JV, Truesdale FM (eds) The fifth annual larval fish conference proceedings, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pp 56–59
Hubbs CL (1934) Racial and individual variation in animals, especially fishes. Am Nat 68:115–128
Laale HW, Lerner W (1981) Teratology and early fish development. Am Zool 21:517–533
Lehner B (2010) Genes confer similar robustness to environmental, stochastic, and genetic perturbations in yeast. PLoS One 5:468–473
PJ Mansfield, Mansfield AH (1981) Influence of background color and intensity of illumination on melanophore expansion in larval fish. In: Bryan CF, Conner JV, Truesdale FM (eds) The fifth annual larval fish conference, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pp 60–62
Masel J (2004) Genetic assimilation can occur in the absence of selection for the assimilating phenotype, suggesting a role for the canalization heuristic. J Evol Biol 17:1106–1110
Siegel ML, Berman A (2002) Waddington’s canalization revisited: developmental stability and evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci 99:10528–10532
Simon TP (1987a) A technique for recovering and raising larval darters. Freshw Mar Aquar 10:56–58
Simon TP (1987b) Descriptions of eggs, larval, and early juveniles of the stripetail darter, Etheostoma kennicotti (Putnam) and spottail darter, E. squamiceps Jordan (Percidae: Etheostomatini) from tributaries of the Ohio River. Copeia 1987:433–440
Simon TP (1994) Ontogeny and systematics of darters (Percidae) with discussion of ecological effects on larval morphology. Doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, p 672
Simon TP, Wallus R (2006) Reproductive biology and early life history of fishes in the Ohio River Basin. Percidae-Perch, Pikeperch, and Darters, vol 4. CRC Press, Boca Raton (619 pp)
Simon TP, Brandt TM, Graves KG, Whiteside BG (1995) Ontogeny and description of eggs, larvae, and early juveniles of the fountain darter, Etheostoma fonticola. Southwest Nat 40:208–215
Sokal RR, Rolf FJ (1994) Biometry: the principles and practices of statistics in biological research, 3rd edn. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco (880 pp)
Szöllõsi GJ, Derényi I (2009) Congruent evolution of genetic and environmental robustness in micro-RNA. Mol Biol Evol 26:867–874
Tanning AV (1944) Experiments on meristic and other characters in fishes. 1. On the influence of temperature on some meristic characters in sea-trout and the fixation-period of those characters. Meddelelser fra Kommissionen for Darnnarks Fiskeri Kjobenhavn Serie Fiskeri 11:1–66
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2002) Short-term methods for estimating the chronic toxicity of effluents and receiving waters to freshwater organisms, 4th edn. EPA 821-R-02-013. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Washington
Waddington CH (1942) Canalization of development and the inheritance of acquired characters. Nature 150:563–565
Weber CL, Peltier WH, Norberg-King TJ, Horning II WB, Kessler FA, Menkedick JR, Neiheisel TW, Lewis PA, Klemm DJ, Pickering QH, Robinson EL, Lazorchak JM, Wymer LJ, Freyberg RW (1989) Short-term methods for estimating the chronic toxicity of effluents and receiving waters to freshwater organisms, EPA 600/4-89/001, US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Cincinnati
Weis JS, Weis P (1987) Pollutants as developmental toxicants in aquatic organisms. Environ Health Perspect 71:77–85
Zhang XS, Hill WG (2005) Evolution of the environmental component of the phenotypic variance: stabilizing selection in changing environments and the cost of homogeneity. Evolution 59:1237–1244
Acknowledgments
Thanks to J. Brown, L.M. Page, and D. Bardack, University of Illinois for constructive comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. A. Lubin, Roosevelt University, provided assistance with statistical results and assisted in developing SAS models. T. Brandt, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provided permits and embryos of the endangered fountain darter; N. Garcia and B. Simon assisted in collection of johnny darter adults and embryos.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Simon, T.P. Trait Canalization Analysis of Water Quality, Temperature, and Developmental Associations with Early Life Stages of Two Fish Species. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 94, 688–694 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1540-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1540-6